In the good old days, desperate children were able to immigrate here without their parents legally

[Gormy Cuss]

Like this lucky kids:

Butten, William, (possibly of Nottingham) age: "a youth", indentured servant of Samuel Fuller, died during the voyage. He was the first passenger to die - on November 6, three days before Cape Cod was sighted.

--?--, Dorothy, teenager, maidservant of John Carver.

Hooke, John, (probably Norwich, Norfolk) age 13, apprenticed to Isaac Allerton, died during the first winter.

Latham, William, (possibly Lancashire), age 11, servant/apprentice to the John Carver family.

More, Ellen (Elinor), Shipton, Shropshire),age 8, assigned as a servant of Edward Winslow. She died from illness sometime in November 1620 soon after the arrival of Mayflower

More, Jasper, (Shipton, Shropshire),age 7, indentured to John Carver. He died from illness on board Mayflower

More, Richard, (Shipton, Shropshire), age 6, indentured to William Brewster.

More, Mary, (Shipton, Shropshire),age 6, assigned as a servant of William Brewster. She died sometime in the winter of 1620/1621

[femmocrat]

1. My grandmother came over when she was a teenager.

Her brother came first and earned enough money to send for her. He had a husband all lined up for her! LOL That was not uncommon in the early part of the 20th century.

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Also not uncommon in the centuries before when the U.S had less restrictive immigration laws.

Teens came over unaccompanied and no one batted an eye at it. All they had to do was pay for their passage. Once they left the ship they were on their own.

Earlier though it was through indenturing that very young children like these on the Mayflower made the journey, sans parents or waiting relatives, in hopes of a better life. For most of them, life ended within a year of sailing ship. I'm sure I could comb through manifests of subsequent ships and find many other small children separated from their families and sent abroad alone, save for their new employer.

[highmindedhavi]

3. Why don't the feds bring them to our liberal cities..

Why not take them to Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago? Seem like there would be a lot less controversy.

[Gormy Cuss]

4. L.A. sorta makes sense because it's only a few hours from the border

but the Feds shouldn't be bullied into moving children to remote parts of the U.S. before their deportation hearings have been held just to appease a few unevolved lunatics.